Sporting KC hoping to yell Timber and fell Portland Sunday

SKC goes to the Pacific Northwest for the first leg of the Western Conference Championship 6:30 p.m. CT follow it on FS1, Fox Sports go, FOX Deportes, locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM. This conference series of the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs being with KC going to #5 TImbers at Providence Park in Portland. Catch it nationally on FS1 & FOX Deportes, streamed on FOX Sports GO  and the Sporting KC Uphoria app for updates. NJ product, Peter Vermes, guided his charges past RSL in a game they seemed to have under control but ended up with a 4-2 win after a 1-1 tie in the RioT. Ilie Sanchez converted a penalty, Daniel Salloi hit for a brace giving him a team best 15 goals overall. Midfielder Felipe Gutiererrez is now just the 2nd player in team history to have a pair of assists in a playoff game leading MLS with 3 in the 2018 playoffs.  NYC legend as a player & coach, Gio Saverese now in his first year in MLS after playing in their early years, rode a pair of 2-1 wins to beat them and advance and after the half hour of extra time which saw 2 goals scored, then off to the shootout and a 4-2 result there for Portland. The way they got here has them on a high as Sporting KC is 10-2-3 since Aug. and 31 goals for with only 13 against as they had a fine year with 18 victories for 62 points, the 2nd highest in team history. With an attack featuring Aalloi, Rubio, & Russell  and a stout defense headed by Besler, Opara, Sinovic & Zusi in the 3rd stingiest defense. Four losses straight in Aug. and since going 7-4-2, going 14-2-4 at home this year and a .70 GAA. Of course Diego Valeri, the 2017 MLS MVP is the standout with fellow Argentine Blanco, Diego was good for 12G & 14A with a pair of each in the post season. Blanco is en fuego, 6 goals in 7 games with the same # in his first 17. SKC forward, Rubio with a yellow in each of the SLC games is out for the first game and he had 2 goals in the Aug. 3-0 win over the Timbs. SKC is 5-1-4 with 8 shutouts, they are just as successful at Providence Park @ 4-2-2 and shutouts in 5 of their last 6 visits. Long Islander Melia has a .17 GAA and 95.8 save pct. in 6 matches facing Portland. 2015 at Providence Park was the only other meeting in the playoffs with it going 11 penalty shootout rounds from a 2-2 game, Potland took the title a month later. SKC tops in MLS in 2000 & '13 all-time they won 3 of 7 conf. champ. series all time. Portalnd who took the title in 2015 are in their 3rd conf. finals.